Information systems are used by almost every imaginable person:

• Entrepreneurs + small business owners

• Sales representatives

• Managers

• Financial advisors

Information systems are a set of interrelated components that collect, manipulate, store, and disseminate data and information and also provide feedback to meet an objective

• are indispensable tools to help you achieve your career goals

• Businesses usually use IS to increase revenues, improve customer service, and reduce costs

Data: raw facts

Information: collection of facts organised and processed in a way that they value beyond the individual facts

Process: set of logically related tasks performed to achieve a defined outcome

Knowledge: awareness and understanding of a set of information and the ways information can be made useful

Valuable information should be:

• accessible, accurate, complete, economical, flexible, revelant, reliable, simple, timely, secure, verifiable

Value of Information:

• Directly linked to how it helps decision makers achieve their organisation’s goals

• Valuable information can help people and their organisations perform tasks more efficiently and effectively

IS has interrelated elements which:

• collect (input), manipulate (process), store, disseminate (output) data and information, provide corrective action (feedback mechanism)

Input: activity of gathering + collecting raw data

Processing: converting ideas into useful outputs

Output: producing useful information

Feedback: information from the system that is used to make changes to input or processing activities

Computer-based information systems (CBIS): set of hardware, software, databases, telecommunications, people, and procedures

• Configured to collect, manipulate, store, and process data into information

Hardware: computer based equipment used to perform input, processing, storage, and output activities

Software: computer programs that govern the operation of the computer

• System software controls basic computer operations

• Application software allows you to accomplish specific tasks

Database: organised collection of facts and information, typically consisting of two or more related data files

Telecommunications: the electronic transmission of signals for communicating

Network: connect computers and equipment to enable electronic communication

Intranet: world’s largest computer network consisting of thousands of interconnected networks, all freely exchanging information

Web: Network of links on the internet to documents containing text, graphics, video , and sound

Extranet: network allows selected outsiders, such as business partners and customers, to access authorised resources of a company’s intranet

Procedures: strategies, policies, methods, and rules for using CBIS

• People are the most important element in most computer-based information systems

Business Info. systems: designed for electronic and mobile commerce, transaction processing, management info., and decision support

• Some organisations employ special purpose systems, such as virtual reality, that not every organisation uses

E-commerce: any business transaction executed electronically between:

• Companies, business to business B2B

• Companies, business to consumer B2C

• Consumer to consumer C2C

• Business and the public sector

• Consumers and the public sector

• offers many opportunities for streamlining work activities

M-commerce: (mobile commerce) the use of mobile, wireless devices to place orders and conduct business

Electronic business (e-business): uses IS and the internet to perform all business related tasks and functions

Enterprise Systems: transaction processing systems and enterprise resource planning

Transaction: any business related exchange, such as payments to employees and sales to customers

Transaction processing system (TPS): organised collection of people, procedures, software, database, and devices used to perform and record completed business transactions

Enterprise resource planning: set of integrated programs that manages the vital business operations for an entire multisite, global organisation

Information and decision support systems:

• Management info systems (MIS): organised collection of people, procedures, software, database, and devices that provide routine information to managers and decision makers

  • manufacturing, marketing, production, finance, and other functional areas are supported by MIS + are linked through a common database

  • Functional management information systems draw data from the organisation’s transactions processing system

Decision Support Systems (DSS) can include:

• A collection of models used to support a decision maker or user (model base)

• A collection of facts and information to assist in decision making (database)

• Systems and procedures (user interface or dialogue manager) that helps decision makers + other users to interact with DDS

• Manage database —-> data management systems

• Model management system